Heat B-ball Splits the Weekend with Griffins

(Photo Credit: Greystoke Photography)

After wins Friday night for the the UBC Okanagan Heat, the MacEwan Griffins came back and took both games on Saturday.

The Heat women had a slow start to their game, not scoring any points until Sarah Allison had a three-pointer to make it 11-3 with only 1:39 left in the first quarter. The Griffins led the first quarter 17-5 and also the first half with 34-12. The Heat brought it back in the third, with first year point guard Vanessa Botteselle getting 11 points and four steals, in the lead for UBC Okanagan with only 15 minutes on the court. At the end of the game, however, the Griffins kept up their scoring and won the game 78-52.

(Photo Credit: Greystoke Photography)

"They just played better than us tonight," said head coach Heather Semeniuk. "It's hard to win when the other team plays better than you." Third year Jessica Jazdarehee followed Botteselle with 10 points and five rebounds. The Heat are now 2-4 for the season, with the Griffins now at 4-2.

The men's team also fell to the revenge-seeking Griffins, losing 68-64 for the weekend split. The Griffins were ready right off the start, leading 17-4 only nine minutes into the period. The Heat soon had a 8-0 run but were still trailing by five points at the end of the first quarter, 17-12. MacEwan's Denzel James dominated the second quarter with 13 points, helping the Griffins to a 39-30 lead going into the half.

(Photo Credit: Greystoke Photography)

UBC Okanagan's Aldrich Berrios shone in the third, opening the points with a three-pointer and getting nine points (all three-pointers) in the frame. It was a tight game in the fourth quarter, with the Heat down 66-64 with eight seconds left on the clock. MacEwan's Lee Danderfer missed a free throw with Heat forward Travis Worthing securing the rebound. Unfortunately, the ball was turned over, and a pair of free throws secured a 68-64 win for the Griffins.

Heat's hero of the night was third-year Mitch Goodwin, who was extremely effective in his play, though he wasn't the highest scorer with six points and six rebounds. Aldrich Berrios had the game-high of 19 points, while Cameron Friesen had 14 points with five rebounds and two assists, and David Manshreck had nine points, eight rebounds, and three assists. The Heat fell to 2-4 for the season, with the Griffins at 3-3.

Both the women's and the men's teams will go to the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George next weekend to play the UNBC Timberwolves.

(Photo Credit: Greystoke Photography)